• Title
  The Naturalists Companion containing drawings with suitable descriptions of a vast variety of Quadrupeds, Birds, Fishes, Serpent and Insects; & accurately copied either from Living Animals or from the stuffed Specimens in the Museums of the College and Dublin Society, to which is added drawings of several antiquities, natural productions &c containd in those Museums -- illustrated manuscript by Kenelm Henry Digby
• Creator
  Kenelm Henry Digby, 1800-1880
• Call number
  SAFE/PXE 869
  
• Level of description
  fonds
• Date
  
  1812-1816. It suggested that the volume dates between the arrival of the stuffed giraffe at the Trinity College Dublin Museum in late 1812, and October 1814 when Digby was admitted into Trintiy College Cambridge: see Rachel Hand "A number of highly interesting objects: the Cook-Voyage collections of Trinity College Dublin" in Jeremy Coote ed., "Cook-Voyage Collections of 'Artificial Curiousities' in Britian and Ireland 1771-2015" (MEG Occasional Papers no.5), Museum Ethnographers Group, Oxford, 2015, p.180. However the Dictionary of National Biography suggests he moved to Cambridge in 1816.
• Type of material
  Graphic Materials, Watercolours
• Reference code
  414201
• Issue Copy
  Digitised
• Physical Description
  440 watercolours (in 1 album of 544 pages, including manuscript text) - 39.6 x 25.2 x 5.4 cm
  
• ADMINISTRATIVE/ BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
  
  Kenelm Henry Digby was born in Ireland in 1800 to a prominent Protestant family, and died in London in 1880, his home for most of his later life. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took a B.A. in 1819. At Cambridge he converted to Catholicism, and devoted the rest of his life to literature and writing, with a particular interest in Catholic theology and medieval antiquarianism. His work on the medieval period, Mores Catholic, or Ages of Faith, ran to eleven volumes (1831-1840) and provided an encyclopedic account of medieval life from a Catholic viewpoint. He was considered a moderately important writer during his own lifetime -- see Dictionary of National Biography; The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1908.
• Scope and Content
  Following is a list of the illustrations of the album, which closely reflects its contents. Digby also provides an alphabetical index in the front of the album.
  Frontispiece: [Untitled - Peaceable Kingdom - landscape with birds and animals]
  p. 1 -- A Japanese Idol
  p. 1 -- An antient Helmet
  p. 2 -- Three antique Grecian Vases
  p. 2 -- A Sandwich Island Pillow
  p. 2 -- A Chinese Coffee Pot and Stand
  p. 3 -- Two Sandwich Island Gods
  p. 3 -- An antient Lance
  p. 4 -- An Indian Helmet of Strawwork and Sword
  p. 4 -- An antient Spanish Sword
  p. 4 -- 3 antient Irish Urns
  p. 4 -- The Scaly Lizard, or Phatagin is a native of Guinea
  p. 5 -- The Nonpareil Parrot [Eastern Rosella?]
  p. 5 -- The Pied Butcherbird
  p. 5 -- A Hooka or Indian Tobacco Pipe
  p. 6 -- An Indian Scepter used for fanning their Chiefs
  p. 6 -- A Hubble Bubble or Indian Tobacco Pipe
  p. 6 -- An Indian Shield
  p. 6 -- An Indian Scourge
  p. 7 -- The Ruff about the size of a thrush
  p. 7 -- The Cockatoo
  p. 8 -- The King Bird [King Parrot?]
  p. 8 -- A Kanguroo is a native of New Holland where it was first discovered
  p. 9 -- A Young Crocodile
  p. 9 -- The Badger
  p. 10 -- Moose Deer and Other Horns [five drawings]
  p. 11 -- The Skull of a Babirousa (?)
  p. 11 -- [Untitled: antlers]
  p. 11 -- The Skull of a Sea Lyon
  p. 11 -- A Lizard
  p. 12 -- [Untitled: Monkey with frond]
  p. 12 -- An Indian Bow, Spears, and Arrows
  p. 12 -- The Violet Sparrow
  p. 13 -- The ringd Paraquet
  p. 13 -- The Lynx, about the size of a wolf
  p. 14 -- The Sloth
  p. 14 -- A Species of Wild Cat
  p. 15 -- A very fine specimen of the Cornu Amonis (?) or petrified snake split open. This is one of the finest specimens in Europe.
  p. 15 -- Two very large specimens of the Cornu Amonis
  p. 15 -- The bottled nose Shark
  p. 16 -- Proserpine
  p. 16 -- The God Terminus
  p. 17 -- A Beautiful Sea Shrub
  p. 17 -- A very large Tortoise Shell
  p. 17 -- The horn of the Unicornfish
  p. 18 -- The Lion Seal
  p. 18 -- The tooth of the Mammoth
  p. 18 -- Bezores composed of concentrical coats [2 drawings]
  p. 18 -- Bezores stones taken out of the stomach of an Animal in the East Indies [2 drawings]
  p. 19 -- Two antient stone Inkstands
  p. 19 -- The Golden Pheasant
  p. 20 -- The Toucan
  p. 20 -- Black backed Gull
  p. 21 -- The Penciled Pheasant
  p. 22 -- The Pelican of the Wilderness
  p. 22 -- The Tern or Sea Swallow
  p. 23 -- The great Horned Owl from Hudsons Bay
  p. 24 -- The Bird of Paradise is a native of the Molucca Islands
  p. 25 -- The Great Lion Monkey
  p. 25 -- The Coote
  p. 26 -- The Chinese Duck
  p. 26 -- The Flying Rat from Botany Bay [Glider possum]
  p. 27 -- A curious spur found under ground near Clontarf supposed to have belonged to Brian Borhoime
  p. 27 -- The broken head of a spear
  p. 27 -- An antient bit of a bridle
  p. 27 -- [Untitled: decorated dagger]
  p. 28 -- Two antique Indian Spurs
  p. 28 -- This brass head of a spear is 5 inches long
  p. 28 -- The Ptarmigan
  p. 29 -- The great Bat of Madagascar preserved in a jar of spirrits
  p. 29 -- Old Danish Pikes [two drawings]
  p. 30 -- An antient Danish Spear, 9 inches long
  p. 30 -- These two were found in a bog at Geashil
  p. 30 -- [Untitled: axehead]
  p. 30 -- An antient Pike
  p. 31 -- Two Antique Heads in Terra Cotta
  p. 31 -- A Household God
  p. 31 -- Two Steel Neck-Pins
  p. 32 -- A beautiful Scepter found in a bog
  p. 32 -- A Piece of Mosaic Pavement found near Rome
  p. 32 -- The Timor (?) or Great Circle of the Irish Cabiri, an emblem of the Supreme Beeing, without beginning without end, it was found near Cashel
  p. 32 -- A seal ring found in a grave in the City of Limerick
  p. 33 -- Four Lacrimatories found in the Catacombs
  p. 33 -- A curious old Key
  p. 33 -- A small antique head in Bronze
  p. 33 -- Two antique Bronze Vessels
  p. 34 -- An antique Key
  p. 34 -- Five antient Neck Pins
  p. 35 -- Four antient Lamps found in the Catacombs
  p. 35 -- Rings found with a number of others in a sepulchre monument on the spot where the famous battle of Cannae is supposed to have been
  [mistake in numbering no page 36
  p. 37 -- The Pompadour Bird
  p. 38 -- The Hoopoe
  p. 37 -- The Damascus Dove
  p. 38 -- The Indian Stare
  p. 39 -- Black and yellow Lacique of Brazil
  p. 39 -- Egyptian Images [2 drawings]
  p. 40 -- The Tamager of Brazil. The Grossbeak and the Lacksia
  p. 41 -- The Flying Lizard.
  p. 42 -- The Migrating Thrush
  p. 42 -- The Indian Beeeater
  p. 43 -- The Penguin
  p. 46 -- The Ruff
  p. 48 -- The Blacksnake
  p. 50 -- The Grape rattlesnake
  p. 54 -- The Kingfisher
  p. 55 -- The Spectail Snake
  p. 56 -- The Reticulated Snake
  p. 56 -- The Amphisbna Alba or the Doubleheaded Serpent
  p. 57 -- sea Urchins [2 drawings]
  p. 60 -- The horn or nose of the Sawfish
  p. 60 -- The Boa Constrictor
  p. 60 -- The Sea Hedgehog
  p. 62 -- The Wolf. Copied from a very fine living animal, now exhibiting in Dublin.
  p. 68 -- The Panther. Copied from a beautiful living animal, exhibited in Dublin.
  p. 70 -- A Maccaw
  p. 71 -- A Maccaw
  p. 73 -- Orang Outang copied from a young animal exhibited in Dublin
  p. 76 -- The Coatimundy
  p. 78 -- Ring-Tailed Monkey or Whistler of the Woods
  p. 78 -- The Mangeby
  p. 79 -- The Great Ursine Sloth
  p. 79 -- A Sagoin or small Lion monkey
  p. 80 -- The great Eagle. From Hudsons Bay.
  p. 81 -- The Brown Eagle
  p. 88 -- The Common Crane
  p. 93 -- The Viper
  p. 93 -- The Whip Snake
  p. 97 -- The Ringed Boa
  p. 98 -- The Surinam Serpent
  p. 99 -- The Crotulus
  p. 100 -- The Puffin
  p. 102 -- The Kite
  p. 104 -- The Hen-Harrier
  p. 105 -- The Goss Hawk
  p. 110 -- The Adder Bird
  p. 110 -- The Merlin
  p. 112 -- The Ter-Falcon
  p. 114 -- The Buzzard
  p. 116 -- The Giraffe or Cameleopard
  p. 121 -- The Sloth
  p. 125 -- The Scarlet Ibis
  p. 129 -- The Chevrotin
  p. 131 -- The American Squirrel
  p. 131 -- The American Turkey
  p. 132 -- An Egyptian Mummy in its coffin
  p. 133 -- A very small Egyptian Mummy in its coffin
  p. 133 -- An antient Vase found in the ruins of Herculaneum
  p. 133 -- A Chinese Parasol
  p. 134 -- The nine-banded Armadillo
  p. 140 -- Model of a Chinese Junk
  p. 141 -- The Flying Fish
  p. 146 -- A young Shark
  p. 154 -- The Sucking Fish
  p. 154 -- The Cameleon
  p. 157 -- An Antient Irish Urn in which they preserved the Ashes of the dead
  p. 158 -- The Rattle Snake
  p. 159 -- The Long Snouted Snake
  p. 160 -- Found in a bog (Kettle)
  p. 160 -- The Lizard
  p. 164 -- The Harp of Brien [Brian] Borhoime
  p. 165 -- The Liath Meisicith of the Irish Druids
  p. 166 -- An Indian Fan
  p. 166 -- An antient Irish Bell
  p. 167 -- An Antient Irish sword, found near Clontarf
  p. 167 -- Found in Munster, supposed to have been an instrument of Musick
  p. 167 -- A Thumb Screw, an instrument or punishment with the antient Irish
  p. 168 -- A pair of solid gold ornaments supposed to have belonged to the antient Irish Druids
  p. 169 -- Antient breast pin, found in Ireland
  p. 169 -- Curious Antique Vessel, found in Ireland
  p. 170 -- A Curious Antique Map of Dublin for the year 1610 [copy of map published by John Speed]
  p. 170 -- Antient Irish instrument for drawing teeth
  p. 171 -- The under Jaw of a Wild Boar
  p. 171 -- Antient brass Snuffers
  p. 172 -- The Charter Horn
  p. 172 -- An antique ring
  p. 173 -- The Antient Irish Bugle
  p. 173 -- Antient Irish Spearheads [4 drawings]
  p. 174 -- Antient Steel Breast Pin
  p. 175 -- This bottle must have been twice in the fire, being of green glass within and stained on the outside
  p. 175 -- Head of an Irish Arrow, made of flint
  p. 176 -- This ornament belonged to the front of an Antient Irish Helmet
  p. 176 -- A Brass Seal found along with the skeleton of an immense man
  p. 176 -- Antient Irish Truncheon
  p. 177 -- A brass key found in the ruins of Burgess Castle
  p. 177 -- The Porcupine copied from a living Animal
  p. 180 -- The Balearic, or Royal Crown Crane
  p. 183 -- The Silver-headed Vulture
  p. 189 -- Kover-du-Vals, they are the same size as the Humming bird, and are copied from living birds, exhibited in Dublin
  p. 189 -- The Shell of a Sea Orb
  p. 190 -- The Sword Fish, from North America
  p. 193 -- The Blue Shark
  p. 194 -- A Lizard
  p. 194 -- The Tobacco Pipe Fish
  p. 195 -- The Violet Crab
  p. 203 -- Echinus Marinus -- Sea Urchin
  p. 204 -- The Crocodile
  p. 211 -- The Rat-Mouthed Fish
  p. 211 -- The Horn Fish
  p. 211 -- Star-Fish, found on the strand near Dublin
  p. 212 -- Lizards, they are the same size as the drawing
  p. 213 -- A Knife of the Sandwich Islands, it is of the same sort as Captain Cook was cut to pieces, with, it is of wood, except the teeth which are of bone, it is nine inches long,
  p. 213 -- Sauce Boat, from King Georges sound
  p. 214 -- A Flute, from Otaheite, it is said to be sounded from the performers nose
  p. 214 -- Drum, from Tongataboo, it is a hollow tube of cane
  p. 214 -- An Adze from New Zealand
  p. 215 -- The Paddle instrument held in the hand when dancing. from King Georges Sound.
  p. 215 -- Pillow, of wood from Otaheite
  p. 215 -- Fishing Hooks from New Zealand, they are of an immense size [2 drawings]
  p. 216 -- A Sauce-boat, from King Georges Sound
  p. 216 -- Fishing hook, from the Friendly Islands,
  p. 216 -- Head of a Whale Spear, from King Georges Sound, the point is of shell,
  p. 217 -- Mouth Organs, from the Friendly Isles,
  p. 217 -- Dancing man, carved in wood at the Sandwich Islands
  p. 218 -- Model of a Roman Galley
  p. 219 -- an Indian Launce
  p. 219 -- instrument for cutting wood, from Otaheite
  p. 219 -- Indian Tommahawk,
  p. 219 -- an Indian Javelin
  p. 219 -- Indian Clubs made of bone
  p. 219 -- an Indian Spear
  p. 220 -- Dress of a Naval Warrior from Otaheite
  p. 221 -- Dress of a Chief Mourner, from Otaheite
  p. 222 -- Instruments for tathowing from Otaheite [2 drawings]
  p. 222 -- A comb from New Zealand
  p. 222 -- wooden Comb, from New Zealand,
  p. 223 -- Bracelet, from the Sandwich Islands, made of the tusks of Wild Boars,
  p. 223 -- Cap from the Marquesas Island,
  p. 223 -- Comb from King Georges Sound
  p. 223 -- Do from Otaheite,
  p. 224 -- Dress of an Indian Chief
  p. 225 -- The Gold Head Traveller
  p. 227 -- Five small specimens of the Cornu Amonis [5 drawings]
  p. 228 -- Head of the Horn Bird
  p. 228 -- Skull of a South Sea Porpesse
  p. 228 -- Tooth of a Sea Horse
  p. 229 -- Tooth of a Sea Cow
  p. 229 -- Two kinds of Mantiss [2 drawings]
  p. 230 -- The Land Tortoise
  p. 233 -- The Sea Tortoise, or Turtle
  p. 241 -- The Seal
  p. 242 -- Lizards [2 drawings]
  p. 243 -- The White Owl, Barn Owl, or Church Owl
  p. 248 -- Common Horned Owl
  p. 249 -- A Humming bird, in its nest
  p. 251 -- The Female Golden, and Pied Pheasant.
  p. 255 -- The Little Grebe
  p. 258 -- The Water Ouzel
  p. 260 -- The Partridge
  p. 262 -- The French Partridge
  p. 263 -- The Curlew
  p. 265 -- The Mallard
  p. 268 -- The Golden Oriole
  p. 269 -- The Bernacle
  p. 271 -- The Woodcock
  p. 274 -- The Snipe
  p. 276 -- The Starling
  p. 278 -- The Quail
  p. 281 -- The Common Gull
  p. 284 -- The Cassowary, copied from a living bird, exhibited in Dublin
  p. 287 -- The Variegated Parrot, from South America, copied from a living bird exhibited in Dublin,
  p. 288 -- The Ponanto bird, copied from a living bird exhibited in Dublin
  p. 289 -- Common Grey Parrot, copied from a living bird, exhibited in Dublin
  p. 290 -- The Kanguroo, copied from a living animal, exhibited in Dublin
  p. 292 The Small American Jay
  p. 294 The Black Bird of Paradise [possibly a lyrebird]
  p. 295 The Rozell Parrot, copied from a living bird, exhibited in Dublin [Eastern Rosella?]
  p. 296 The Cockatoo, copied from a living bird exhibited in Dublin
  p. 297 Necklace Doves, from China, copied from living birds exhibited in Dublin
  p. 297 a Java Sparrow, copied from a living bird exhibited in Dublin
  p. 298 The small Goree Parrot, copied from a living bird, exhibited in Dublin
  p. 299 The Small Horned Owl, from Hudsons Bay, copied from a living Bird, exhibited in Dublin
  p. 300 The Magpie
  p. 302 The Raven
  p. 304 The Whitefaced Monkey, from Madras, copied from a living Animal exhibited in Dublin
  p. 305 Whitefaced Ape, from the rocks of Gibralter (sic.), copied from a living animal, exhibited in London
  p. 308 Small Grey American Squirrels, copied from living animals exhibited in Londn
  p. 310 Green Macaw, copied from a living bird, exhibited in London
  p. 311 Sparrows from the Brazils,
  p. 312 The Heron
  p. 319 The Teal
  p. 321 The Kestrel
  p. 323 Certia Formosa
  p. 324 Long-Tailed Certia
  p. 325 The Widow bird
  p. 326 The Foumart
  p. 330 The Shoveler
  p. 332 The Skunk
  p. 335 The Merops Capher
  p. 336 The Great Black Woodpecker
  p. 337 The Picus Pileatus - Crested Woodpecker
  p. 338 The Three toed Woodpecker
  p. 343 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
  p. 344 Small Spotted Woodpecker
  p. 344 Yellow Spotted Woodpecker
  p. 345 The Roller
  p. 346 The Rock Ouzel
  p. 346 The Female Golden-Winged Butcher Bird Wood-Pecker
  p. 347 The Corn Crake
  p. 350 The Black Ouzel. Black Bird
  p. 352 The King Dove, Cushat or Queest
  p. 354 The Turtle Dove
  p. 356 White throated Kings Fisher
  p. 356 Lesser Butcher Bird
  p. 357 The Cod
  p. 359 -- The Yellow-breasted Butcher Bird
  p. 359 -- Red Headed Butcher Bird
  p. 360 -- The Waved Butcher Bird
  p. 362 -- The Purple Tanager, and a Beeeater
  p. 363 -- The Sparrow of Paradise , or Painted Sparrow
  p. 363 -- The Quaker Bird
  p. 364 -- The Greyhound Fox
  p. 370 -- The Peacock
  p. 373 -- Stoats
  p. 376 -- The Ermine
  p. 377 -- The Hedge-Hog or Urchin
  p. 380 -- The Shrew Mouse
  p. 381 -- The Beaver
  p. 383 -- The Bat
  p. 386 -- The Hamster, or German Marmot
  p. 390 -- The Jay
  p. 392 -- Fallow deer, copied from living animals in the Phnix Park
  p. 395 -- The Pintado, or Guinea Hen
  p. 398 -- The Redbreast
  p. 398 -- The Bullfinch
  p. 400 -- The Pee-wit, or Lapwing,
  p. 403 -- The Greater Titmouse
  p. 405 -- The Yellow Bunting
  p. 406 -- The Willow Wren
  p. 407 -- The Fieldfare
  p. 409 -- The Whinchat
  p. 410 -- The Golden-Crested Wren
  p. 412 -- The Cuckoo
  p. 416 -- The Nuthatch
  p. 418 -- The Herring
  p. 423 -- The Wryneck
  p. 424 -- The Redstart
  p. 425 -- The Pied Wagtail
  p. 427 -- The Red-Legged Crow - Cornish Chough
  p. 428 -- The White-Rump. - Wheatear
  p. 430 -- The Canary Finch, copied from a living bird.
  p. 431 -- The Goldfinch, copied from a living bird
  p. 432 -- The Grey Linnet, copied from a living bird
  p. 433 -- The Smew
  p. 434 -- The Bitern - or a Mire drum
  p. 438 -- The Great brested Grebe
  p. 440 -- The Esculapian Serpent
  p. 441 -- The Blue Snake
  p. 442 -- The Spotted Snake
  p. 443 -- The Coluber Doliatus
  p. 443 -- The Blue-Headed Snake
  p. 444 -- The Bronze Beetle
  p. 444 -- The Hoary Beetle
  p. 444 -- The Bronze Buprestus
  p. 444 -- The Buprestus
  p. 444 -- The Herculean Beetle, of America
  p. 444 -- [unidentified blue beetle]
  p. 445 -- Scarabeus Actaeon, or Brazilian Bullcomber
  p. 445 -- The Stag Beetle
  p. 445 -- The Interrupted Stag Beetle
  p. 445 -- The Rough Indian Beetle
  p. 446 -- The Spotted Locust
  p. 446 -- an Indian Grasshopper
  p. 446 -- an other Indian Grasshopper
  p. 447 -- The Capricorn Beetle
  p. 447 -- The Yellow Lamia
  p. 447 -- The Broad Water Beetle
  p. 447 -- The Oculator Lamia
  p. 447 -- The Menelaus Butterfly
  p. 447 -- The Orange tipped Butterfly
  p. 448 -- The Scorpion
  p. 448 -- The Armenian Bird Spider
  p. 448 -- The Black tipped Yellow Butterfly
  p. 448 -- The Glossy Green Carabus
  p. 448 -- The Crulian Savage
  p. 448 -- The Ephippiger Grasshopper
  p. 449 -- The Blata Gigantea or American Cockroach
  p. 449 -- yellow Butterfly
  p. 449 -- The Idomenus Butterfly
  p. 450 -- [Unidentified moth]
  p. 450 -- Burnet Moth
  p. 450 -- White Branded Tyger Moth
  p. 450 -- The Deaths Head Moth
  p. 450 -- The Scarlet Admiral Butterfly
  p. 450 -- The Black Legged Bug
  p. 451 -- The Great Atlas Moth, of Surinam
  p. 451 -- The Lantern Fly, of Peru
  p. 451 -- The Great Unicorn Moth
  p. 452 -- The Centipedes
  p. 452 -- The Bronzed Winged Dragon Fly
  p. 488 -- The Lobster
  p. 499 -- The Place
  p. 500 -- The Mackeral
  p. 504 -- The Common Antelope, copied from a living animal exhibited in Dublin
  p. 507 -- The Lama, copied from a living animal exhibited in Dublin
  p. 511 -- The Zebu, copied from a living animal exhibited in Dublin
• Access Conditions
  
  Access via appointment
• Copying Conditions
  Out of copyright: Artist died before 1955
  Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
• General note
  
  Page 486/487 missing when volume received
  Following are notes compiled by Curator of Pictures, November 2001, on significance of album:
  "The Naturalists Companion" was written and illustrated by Digby, probably in the mid-1810s, before he left Dublin for England and Cambridge University. His text, which describes animals and objects he encountered in a number of museums in Dublin, is illustrated with 440 separate watercolours. The text describes the collections in the museums of Trinity College (described between pages 115 and 243) and the Dublin Society and a public menagerie exhibiting at the time. He also described specimens from his own observation and other published sources.
  
  The manuscript describes and illustrates a variety of animals, fish, insects, natural and ethnographic productions and antiquities from England, Ireland, India, Spain, Africa, China, America, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. It includes a number of Australian animals, such as the kangaroo, and illustrations of Pacific artifacts collected on Captain James Cooks second and third voyages held by the Dublin Society and the Trinity College Museum.
  It seems that Digby composed the text himself although much of its content is drawn from published authorities. He cites numerous standard reference sources such as George Buffon's "Natural History". The text, which concentrates mainly on animals (about 300 of the illustrations are natural history) rather than ethnographic or antiquarian specimens, is largely anecdotal. He is not interested in the anatomy or physiology of the animals he describes, and nor does he attempt to position them within a classification scheme. He uses popular rather than scientific names.
  It is significant to note that living Australian natural history specimens had reached Dublin by the early 1810s as part, it appears, of a commercial menagerie.
  
  The Pacific artifacts illustrated in "The Naturalists Companion" were held in both the museums of Trinity College, Dublin the Dublin Society. The artifacts were probably collected on Captain James Cooks Second and Third Voyages. "The Dress of a Chief Mourner, from Otaheite" (page 221), for instance, was collected on Cook's Second voyage by surgeon James Patten, who settled in Dublin immediately after his return. He gave his collections to Trinity College in 1777, which were latter transferred to the National Museum of Ireland. The dress itself was presented by the National Museum to the Bishop Museum in Hawaii in 1971, and was exhibited in the Bishop's 1978 exhibition "Artificial Curiosities. An exposition of Native Manufactures" and is illustrated at fig. 211. Other material probably came from Captain James King, of the Third Voyage's Resolution (see J.D. Freeman, The Polynesian Collection of Trinity College, Dublin and the National Museum of Ireland, "Journal of the Polynesian Society", vol. 58, 1948 p.1-18).
  
  Other Pacific artifacts, such as "Sandwich Island God" (page 3) and "A knife of the Sandwich Islands" (p.213), were in the Museum of the Dublin Society, although how they came into the possession of that Society is not known. It was transferred to the National Museum of Ireland, along with much of the Society's collection in 1880. The original was exhibited at the Bishop Museums (Honolulu) 1979 exhibition "Eleven Gods Assembled", curated by Dr Adrienne Kaeppler.
  "The Naturalists Companion" is an apparently random compendium of natural history, ethnographic and antiquarian specimens. Its lack of obvious taxonomy indeed its unusual juxtapositions (page 5, for example, depicts a Non Pareil Parrot, a Pied Butcherbird and a Hooka Pipe) illustrates a then common approach to the description of the natural world: an encyclopedic record without an obvious system or organising principal. "The Naturalists Companion" reflects the often haphazard composition of late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century European museums. Comparisons with published catalogues from such museums, such as the Leverian Museum or William Bullocks Museum shows how close Digby's manuscript was in conception to contemporary museums -- see for example William Bullock, "A Companion to the London Museum and Pantherion", 1813 (Mitchell Library call no. 507/B) or King & Lochee, "Catalogue of the Leverian Museum", 1806 (Mitchell Library call no. 570.7/L).
  This encyclopedic approach reflected Digby's belief, shared by the majority of his contemporaries, that the diversity and complexity of nature was positive proof of the existence of a divine Creator. As Digby wrote in "The Naturalists Companion" his intention was to highlight to all "but the most insensible mind wonder at the formation and the various properties, and dispositions of the Brute Creation" (p.453).
  See also Rachel Hand "A number of highly interesting objects: the Cook-Voyage collections of Trinity College Dublin" in Jeremy Coote ed., "Cook-Voyage Collections of 'Artificial Curiousities' in Britian and Ireland 1771-2015" (MEG Occasional Papers no.5), Museum Ethnographers Group, Oxford, 2015, pp.123-199.
  
  Microfilm available at CY 4267, frames 1 - 557
  Digital order no:Album ID : 971124
• Signatures / Inscriptions
  
  Embossed on spine Digbys Naturalists Companion
• Conservation note
  
  Contemporary full calf covers, re-backed.
• Subject
  Animals--Pictorial works.
  Birds--Pictorial works.
  Ornithological illustration.
  
• Topic
  indigenous artefacts
  kangaroos
  museums
  native birds
  natural history illustrations
  
• Exhibited in
  
  National treasures from Australia's great libraries - Council of Australian State Libraries (1 December, 2005 - 31 December, 2006)
• Open Rosetta viewer
  IE1053790

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